Leopard 2

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Leopard 2
Pa044066.jpg
Danish Leopard 2 MBT
TypeMain battle tank
Place of originWest Germany
Service history
In service1979–present
Used bySee Operators
WarsWar in Afghanistan
Syrian Civil War
Production history
DesignerKrauss-Maffei
Designed1970s
ManufacturerKrauss-Maffei Wegmann
Maschinenbau Kiel
Unit cost2A6: US$5.74 million (2007)
Produced1979–present
No. built3,480
Specifications
Mass2A6: 62.3 tonnes (68.7 short tons)
Length2A6: 9.97 metres (393 inches) (gun forward)
Width2A6: 3.75 m (148 in)
Height2A6: 3.0 m (120 in)
Crew4

Armour2A6: 3rd generation composite; including high-hardness steel, tungsten and plastic filler with ceramic component.
Main
armament
1× 120 mm Rheinmetall L55 smoothbore gun (42 rounds)
Secondary
armament
2× 7.62 mm MG3A1 (4,750 rounds)
EngineMTU MB 873 Ka-501 liquid-cooled V12 twin-turbo diesel engine
1,500 PS (1,479 hp, 1,103 kW) at 2,600 rpm
Power/weight24.1 PS/t (17.7 kW/t)
TransmissionRenk HSWL 354
SuspensionTorsion bar suspension
Fuel capacity1,200 litres (264 imperial gallons; 317 US gallons)
Operational
range
550 km (340 mi) (internal fuel)
Maximum speed 68 km/h (42 mph)

The Leopard 2 is a German main battle tank (Kampfpanzer) developed by Krauss-Maffei in the early 1970s and first entering service in 1979. The Leopard 2 replaced the earlier Leopard 1 as the main battle tank of the German Army. Various versions have served in the armed forces of Germany and twelve other European countries, as well as several non-European nations. More than 3,480 Leopard 2s have been manufactured. The Leopard 2 first saw combat in Kosovo with the German Army and has also seen action in Afghanistan with the Danish and Canadian ISAF forces.

There are two main development batches of the tank, the original models up to Leopard 2A4 which have vertically-faced turret armour, and the "improved" batch, namely the Leopard 2A5 and newer versions, which have angled arrow-shaped turret appliqué armour together with a number of other improvements. All models feature digital fire control systems with laser rangefinders, a fully stabilized main gun and coaxial machine gun, and advanced night vision and sighting equipment (first vehicles used a low-light level TV system or LLLTV; thermal imaging was introduced later on). The tank has the ability to engage moving targets while moving over rough terrain. It can drive through water 4 meters (13 ft) deep using a snorkel or 1.2 meters (3 ft 11 in) without any preparation and climb vertical obstacles over one metre high. The tank is powered with a turbo-charged multi-fuel V12 diesel engine that produces 1,500 PS (1,479 hp, 1,103 kW).

Operators